Packing

I remember it all as if were yesterday instead of ten years ago-- Packing my green Dodge Neon. Running up and down the stairs of my third floor Tudor apartment with arm fulls of what I knew to the hottest and absolute last word in fashion. Clothes enough for six months, including the few boxes preshipped--I could only hope it would be enough for my three month summer job. Oh well, I like to have options. After all I was going to the world renowned Santa Fe Opera. The choice of summer job had been a very heavy decision for me as I was finishing my first year of my MFA Design program at WVU. It was important for me to go some where there were connections to be made. The choice finally came down to Santa Fe and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Santa Fe won as they actually paid their apprentices.

I was in such a rush to get the car packed and get on the road west as I was already running a few days late reporting to Santa Fe after returning from Germany. I spent a great deal of the semester working on a production of Macbeth my school did in partnership with the ETA Hoffman Theatre in Bamberg, Germany. I was the assistant costume designer for the production. What an amazing opportunity for a student to travel and produce art in Europe. Working with the German theatre artist really helped shape my artistic eye. I found myself truly inspired for the first time in my life, dare I say Euphoric. Of course for me just figuring out how to communicate was a bit of a challenge as I can only sing in German. So when things got really tense, I would burst into 'Bist du bei Mir' and this would cause us all to laugh. The most important thing I learned from that experience was that art is Truly a universal language.

After returning from Europe, I was more than ready to take the Santa Fe Opera by storm as they employed some of the most exciting designer in the world of opera. There was only one thing holding me back---Brakes. After finally packing the car and heading out of town, my brakes decided to go out. Stuck in Morgantown one more day! oh Joy!